Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints

Sunday December 5, 1982 - Away Game

WON - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 New Orleans Saints 10

Hoping to match their win total of the entire previous season, the Saints entered the game hoping for a team-record fourth consecutive victory.

McKay compared the Saints to the San Francisco 49ers, who the previous season had made the leap to Super Bowl champion after years of poor performances. In playoff contention for the first time in franchise history, the Saints entered the game with a defense ranked second only to Tampa Bay's in the NFC. Louisiana native Doug Williams felt at home playing in front of the New Orleans crowd. Saints quarterback Ken Stabler completed 29 of 43 passes for 333 yards and no interceptions, completing passes to nine different receivers. He threw often at inexperienced cornerback Johnny Ray Smith, Mike Washington's injury replacement.

The Buccaneers blitzed heavily, mainly from the safeties, as the Saints' double-tight end formation prevented the Buccaneers' regular pass rush from reaching Stabler. They sent both safeties on one play, with Cedric Brown disrupting Stabler's handoff to George Rogers and causing a fumble that Neal Colzie recovered. Colzie was sent frequently on blitzes, and later reported mixed emotions about having to hit his former teammate Stabler.

The win was preserved with Dave Stalls' sack of Stabler in the final minute of play, which drove the Saints out of Morten Andersen's regular field goal range. Andersen's last-minute 60-yard attempt missed narrowly.

The Buccaneers were the beneficiary of a questionable offensive pass interference penalty against the Saints' Larry Hardy during the Saints' final drive. An earlier Saints drive ended when Hugh Green's hit on Hardy caused a fumble that Smith recovered. McKay said afterward that neither team deserved to lose.

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